The Morning After: Tuesday, September 26th 2017

Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR headset coming this year

Samsung and Oculus have partnered for a mobile virtual reality headset to be used with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the companies announced this week. They're calling it the Samsung Gear VR, and it will be available later this year as an "Innovator Edition."

The Gear VR slots in the Note 4 to use as a screen, so there are no wires or extra hook-ups to worry about lugging around. Otherwise, it functions pretty much the same as its big brother, the Oculus Rift, albeit with a lower level of performance. The field of view on the Gear VR, for instance, is 96 degrees - four shy of the Rift.

If you're wondering why it's called the Innovator Edition, Oculus has a blog post explaining: "It's an early-access, beta-version of the device for developers and enthusiasts rather than a final consumer product. Content creators can experiment and build totally new experiences while users explore the bleeding edge of mobile VR as it's being pioneered," the company writes.

No release date for the device has been given for the Gear VR, but when it launches there will be several virtual reality experiences and games available, including Darknet - a game we saw at PAX Prime last weekend - Oculus Cinema - a virtual movie theater - and Legendary's Pacific Rim Jaeger Pilot - a VR experience we heard about during Comic-Con.

Our friends at Engadget have a hands-on video, pictures and their own thoughts on the device if you want to learn more.

[Image: Samsung]

Gallery: Samsung Gear VR (Announcement) | 7 Photos

Samsung and Oculus collaborate to create an immersive new dimension of mobile life withthe first widely available mobile VR headset optimized for Galaxy Note 4​​​​Berlin, Germany – September 3, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced the next generation in wearable technology, the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, enabling users to fully immerse themselves in a cinematic virtual reality environment. Powered by Oculus technology, the Samsung Gear VR delivers a completely new way to experience and consume mobile content. It continues Samsung's leadership in the wearable category through innovative technology and compelling design to expand the definition of mobile life.​​The result of a deep and integrated partnership with Oculus, a Facebook company and a leader in virtual reality technology, the Samsung Gear VR creates an immersive mobile virtual reality experience that the industry has never seen before.​​"The Samsung Gear VR goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series," said JK Shin, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers."​​"We are thrilled to reveal the Gear VR Innovator Edition, a state-of-the-art mobile VR experience powered by Oculus," said John Carmack, CTO of Oculus. "The deep technical partnership with Samsung has enabled us to create a virtual reality headset with world class resolution and performance, all on a completely mobile platform."​​The Samsung Gear VR delivers an unrivaled viewing experience with the 5.7 inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy Note 4 providing stunning and engaging visuals at a mobile-leading resolution. With the Gear VR Innovator Edition, users can sit in the best seat of a theater, can be on-stage of a performance with full 360 3D video, and can enjoy gaming like it's never been seen before - inside the stunning worlds where imagination becomes reality. Samsung's industry leading Super AMOLED display technology and cutting-edge Oculus-driven technologies fuse to create an experience that surprises and delights – all on a mobile device.

​Built with soft, flexible cushioning and lightweight materials, the Samsung Gear VR is comfortable to wear. It is completely wireless, so users can be fully engaged in virtual worlds without being tethered to a computer. With a robust selection of optimized virtual reality content from a wide range of top-tier creators, users will be able to enjoy a wide range of film, gaming, 360 degree video, and educational/experiential content.​​The Samsung Gear VR will be available in Frost White through the Samsung online channel and selectively by carriers this year. Full details and product images are available at www.samsungmobilepress.com and www.oculus.com/blog/